De-watering, or more accurately unwatering, is a process of removing groundwater from an area. This step is necessary to create a dry-land environment in order to proceed with a construction project. There are several different de-watering solutions to remove water from an area. And as it pertains to construction, cofferdams combined with water pumps, are an effective solution to create an acceptably safe and secure construction site. There are many water removal solutions including deep wells, horizontal drains, and well points, among others. Here at Dam-it Dams, we provide this water removal solution in the form of a protective barrier which will hold back water while it is being pumped away from the necessary “dry” areas of the project site.
Cofferdams are especially useful when it comes to bridge repairs as they can be positioned around the base of the bridge, while the water is pumped out, allowing work to begin. Other uses for cofferdam dewatering include boat ramp repairs, canal repair, dredging, pipeline repairs, sewage treatment plants, as well as many others.
De-watering is made much easier using a prefabricated water barrier like the ones that we manufacture here at Dam-It Dams. Our de-watering solutions are made of high-tech geotextile materials and are designed to be portable, affordable, and re-usable thanks to their light-weight durable designed fabric. Our dams actually fill up using the on-site water as well, so, in a de-watering scenario, there’s no need to use city water to fill up our product for use. The dam will begin to unroll in a controlled manner as it is inflated and placed into position. Once the cofferdam is in place, pumps can be used to remove the water from the now enclosed area, so that work may begin or continue without cause for concern as to its ability to do its job.
The cofferdam itself is one of the five parts that comprise a typical Cofferdam System:
- Cofferdam – a flexible yet durable water barrier made of high technology materials
- Water discharge pumps (2) – to draw in on-site water to inflate the cofferdam(s)
- Discharge hoses (2) – to transport water to and from the cofferdam(s)
- Restraining ropes – to assist with the unrolling and positioning of large cofferdam systems
- Connections – to couple together two or more cofferdams
Read more about cofferdam systems
